Suspension apparatus for well drilling operations



Fla/76 W Sept. 27, 1932. o. BIELER 1,880,071

SUSPENSION APPARATUS FOR WELL DRILLING OPERATIONS Filed Aug. 20., 1929 Fig.

rYw 14 16 615 j 6 L- L j@ S INVENTOR Patented Sept. 27, 1932 PATENT FFICE OSCARIBIELER, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA SUSPENSION APPARATUS FOR WELL DRILLING OPERATIONS Application filed August 20, 1929. Serial No. 387,137.

This invention relates to improvements in suspension means for crown and travelling blocks of derricks employed in the drilling of oil and gas wells.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide improvements in the manner of suspending the blocks to facilitate the stringing of the blocks and the handling of the same for the several operations incident to the boring or drilling of wells. W I11 the drilling of wells for oil or gas, by the rotary method, it is customary to have a crown block on the top of the derrick which is stationary and a travelling block which moves from the derrick floor to the crown block when lifting the suspended weight.

WVhen preparations are being made to drill a well, after the derrick has been erected, it

is'customary to hoist the crown block in position on top of the derrick on the crown block foundation or water table, by means of a cat line. The drilling line has been wound on a drum and in order to string the drilling line, the end of same is fastened to a the cat line which is strung over a sheave on the gin pole above the'crown block. By means of the cat line, the end of the drilling line is pulled up to the crown block. It is then removed from the cat line and placed through one of the sheaves of the crown block. In hoisting the drilling line, the other end of the cat line is hoisted to the top of the derrick and is fastened to the drilling line and the latter is then lowered to the derrick floor and threaded over one of the sheaves of the travelling block. The end of the drilling line is then again hoisted to the top of the derrick and the process repeat- I ed until the proper number of lines in the blocks have been obtained.

Another method of stringing the blocks is, after the drilling line has been through the travelling block once, to pull a sufficient length of drilling line through the travelling block and then clamp it around one of the sheaves. The travelling block is then hoisted to its highest position in the derrick and the drilling line beyond where it is clamped is then threaded through the crown block and travelling block until the proper numlit) ber of lines in the blocks has been obtained. This operation requires several men in the derrick and is hazardous.

With the invention hereinafter described, all hazards of stringing the blocks are eliminated in that the blocks can be strung on the derrick floor and the upper block hereinafter called the crown block may be hoisted to its foundation after the proper number of lines have been strung.

In the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts, Fig. l is a sectional elevational view of a spring crown block with travelling block embodying the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the upper portion or suspension member by means of which the blocks are supported on the water table of the derrick; and Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the block support embodying auxiliary sheave wheels for cable tool drilling operations.

In the drawing, 1 and 2 generally designate a pair of blocks having sheave wheels 3 and the usual side plates 4, the blocks being of the type commonly employed in oil well rigs. The sheaves are mounted by a removable center-pin 5. The upper block is provided with a clevis or loop 6 and the lower block with a clevis 7, the upper and lower blocks being strung with ropes or cables 8 in the customary manner to provide for adjustment of the drilling tools or drill pipe, etc. 35

In accordance with the present invention, no springs are employed in the blocks or in the lower clevis. The sheave blocks are adapted to be lowered on the derrick floor for stringing the sheaves. The upper block which may be considered the crown block, is supported by a link 9 which is provided with an eyelet or perforation 10 for receiving the cat line by means of which it is raised orlowered and an opening 11 (Fig. 2) is 95 provided for receiving a pin 12 which cooperates with a support 13 having an opening through which the link 9 projects.

The support 13 is mounted on one or more springs 14 which are retained by bolts 15 that may be fastened to a pair of structural beams 16, the bolts functioning to maintain springs 14 in proper alinement, thereby retaining the supporting block 13 in its proper posit-ion.

As shown in Fig. 3, a pair of auxiliary sheave wheels 18 and 21 may be mounted on the water table for cable or standard tool operations when drilling by the percussion instead of the rotary method. Sheave 18 is the sand line sheave which is journalled by shaft 19 in bearing 20. The bull-rope sheave 21 is similarly journalled by shaft 22 in bearing blocks 23 on the opposite side of the suspension link 9. The crown block and itssupporting mechanism may be removed for cable tool drilling and either or both of the sheaves 18 and 21 may be moved nearer the center of the derrick support if desired.

In the use of the equipment herein illustrated, the blocks 1 and 2 may be lowered by raising link 9 with the cat line, removing the pin 12 and letting the link down until the crown and travelling block are on the derrick floor, where they are readily accessible for stringing the lines or for changing the number of sheave wheels. hen the necessary changes have been made, the link 9 is again hoisted and the pin 12 shifted through opening 11 after which it is lowered in the supporting block 13, thus yieldingly suspending the entire rig including the link 9 and the associated crown and travelling block. One of the outstanding advantages of this construction is that the suspended drilling tools or pipe are resiliently borne by the springs 14 whereby the connecting joints of the pipe are under tension so that when any of the joints are broken for the purpose of assembling or disconnecting them, they are automatically separated by lifting the upper section a distance corresponding to the compression of the springs. Aside from this feature, the resilient suspension of the rig is advantageous in the same manner as any spring borne suspension wherein spring suspended weight travelling blocks or spring hooks or the like are employed, as has been heretofore customary. I

It is evident from the foregoing description of this invention that resilient suspension means as herein provided greatly facilitates the assembly of drilling rigs in oil well derricks and eliminates a great deal of labor heretofore required, in the stringing and manipulating of the blocks.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In a derrick, beams extending across and mounted on said derrick, springs, bolts connecting the springs to the beams, a block extending across the beams and supported on the springs, said block being movably secured to said beams by said bolts and having a recess in its upper surface, a pin positioned in the recess, a link suspended from the pin in the space between the beams and supports, and a tackle block connected to and suspended from the link.

2. In a derrick structure, the combination with a sheave block, of means for yieldingly suspending said block from the derrick structure, said means comprising a support, a spring nest on said support, a bearing block on said spring nest, a link adapted to engage the sheave block at one end, and a pin disposed through the other end of said link and adapted to rest upon said bearing block.

3. In a derrick structure, means for yieldingly suspending a sheave block comprising a spring structure mounted in the derrick and constituting the main suspension support, a vertical link for suspending the sheave block from said spring structure, and a detachable lateral support for said link which constitutes an abutment for said spring structure.

4. A removable sheave block mounting for derrick structures comprising a support mounted in the derrick frame, a sheave block having a suspension link by means of which said block is suspended from said derrick support, said link having an opening therein and a bearing pin disposed through said opening in said link and supported at its ends on the derrick support, said bearing pin being removable to permit lowering of the link and sheave block to the derrick floor.

5. In a derrick the combination with a water table, of a pair of beams, a support mounted on said beams by bolts having coil springs disposed therearound, and between said support, and beams and a suspension link removably mounted on said support.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12 day of August, 1929, at Pittsburgh, Pa.

OSCAR BIELER. 

